Emily Barbara Kennedy is the Director of External Relations for the Biomimicry Research and Innovation Center (BRIC) at The University of Akron. In this role, she sustains and grows BRIC’s engagement with business entities and other organizations in Northeast Ohio and beyond. Emily also works with Great Lakes Biomimicry in the agency's Innovation Services projects and Professional Education workshops. Finally, Emily is CEO and co-founder of Hedgemon, a Cleveland-based startup developing hedgehog-inspired impact protection. The first target application for Hedgemon’s technology is a football helmet liner to reduce risk of concussion. Potential future applications include body armor, athletic shoe soles, child car seats, fall protection flooring, transport cases, electronics housing, automotive paneling, and airdrop pallet cushioning.

Emily holds a PhD in Integrated Bioscience from the University of Akron. Her doctoral dissertation, titled “Biomimicry in Industry: The Rationale for Reimagining R&D,” includes chapters published in Global Built Environment Review, Design Issues, Research-Technology Management, Creativity Research Journal, and Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. Emily also holds a BA in International Relations with a minor in Environmental Studies from Colgate University. She is a 2017 recipient of the Industrial Research Institute Maurice Holland Award, 2016 recipient of the Creativity Foundation Legacy Prize, and a Eureka Ranch–certified Innovation Engineering Black Belt.